"...nobody does a better job than Nolo." - USA Today
Nolo Logo

Since 1971, Nolo's goal has been simple: Make America's legal system accessible to everyone. Our website, books, software, online legal forms and lawyer directory help millions of individuals, businesses and nonprofits solve their legal problems each year.

Small text sizeMedium text sizeLarge text size Print this page
 

Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary

Legal Dictionary Home

mens rea
(menz-ray-ah) The mental component of criminal liability. To be guilty of most crimes, a defendant must have committed the criminal act in a certain mental state (the mens rea). The mens rea of robbery, for example, is the intent to permanently deprive the owner of his property. (Compare: actus reus)
Dictionary

Search the whole dictionary:

Bestsellers

Browse all books, software & legal forms >

Find A Lawyer

Enter zip or city, state ("Boston, MA")

Attorney Profiles

Attorneys: Get Listed

Advertisement

Advertise Here

Nolo Partner

This service is operated by JustAnswer.
Nolo provides no guarantee of the information provided.